Professor talks Texas pros, cons

Excerpt

The following is from the Feb. 20, 2014, edition of The Brookhaven Courier. This is about a presentation by SMU Political Science Professor Cal Jillson.

February 21, 2014

By Paula Vasquez
Senior Staff Writer

Dr. Calvin Jillson, author and Political Science professor at Southern Methodist University, was invited by the Brookhaven Institute for Political Studies to talk to students at Brookhaven College Jan. 31.

Jillson’s lecture in Room K234 was based on his book, “Lone Star Tarnished.” Jillson’s analytical method led him to speak about the “Texas Miracle” redirect, which helps Texas citizens to hear not only Texas’ strengths, but also its weaknesses. Jillson said, “The general question is, ‘How well is Texas doing?’ and the broad answer is ‘Not as well as you would think.’”

According to the Southern Methodist University faculty website, Jillson’s expertise on political science dates back to 1976, when he earned a doctorate in government and politics from the University of Maryland. Ever since, he has been teaching about American politics. According to his biography, Jillson has written extensively on Texas politics, is the chairman of SMU’s Political Science Department and was the director of the Tower Center for Political Studies from 1996 to 2001.

Jillson said major areas Texans should pay attention to include income, education, access to health care and social services. Despite the general belief that Texas is doing well, “Texas has made no progress against the national average in many of those areas since 1950,” he said. Texas’ growth remains steady compared to other states because other states focus on important social services just as much as getting wealthier, Jillson said.

Jillson’s talk tackled the way Texans focus on the Texas model, or as he called it, “The Texas Miracle” and discussed Gov. Rick Perry’s role in defending this idea. The Texas model represents the relationship between government and society. Jillson said the model’s main pillars are small government, low taxes, deregulation and personal responsibility.